Faerie Winter

Faerie Winter by Janni Lee Simner (Random House)

HB RRP $18.95

ISBN 978-1-7427-5068-2  

Reviewed by Oliver Phommavanh       

Faerie Winter is the sequel to Bones of Faerie. Simner created a post-apocalyptic world that is recovering from a devastating war between humans and the magical Faerie. Liza is one of many humans who have magic powers. She used to hide her powers of summoning but not anymore. Now she’s free to use them. She’s rescued her mother from the deadly wastelands of Faerie and banished her evil father.

Now her town is on the verge of a famine as Winter hits. Plants and trees show no sign of growing. Liza wants to care for her mother but she’ll discover that their protective relationship works both ways. Just as the title suggests, this is a dark story with loads of icy tension, especially between Liza and her mother. Liza’s yearning for answers about the war and time of Before. But there’s a reason why Liza’s mother has kept quiet about the past.

The townsfolk are still nervous about the kids who have magic, including wolf Matthew and animal talker Kyle. They all band together to face a deadly lady in the forest, who’s on the trail to hunt down Liza’s mother.

Simner grips you with her distinct narrative and eerily descriptions of a barren world. It’s recommended that you read Bones of Faerie to make better sense of the story. The restrained use of magic doesn’t restrict the violence; in fact it enhances the action scenes because no one’s overly powerful. It’ll take more than magic for Liza to save the day.

    

Faerie Winter isn’t a complete sequel, it doesn’t hint at solving anything vital. But it does raise some interesting quesions, in another book perhaps? Recommended for ages 12 and up.

Bones of Faerie

Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner (Random House)

PB RRP $18.95

ISBN 978-1-7427-5065-1

Reviewed by Oliver Phommavanh

Bones of Faerie is a haunting novel for older readers with a few twists. Firstly, it’s a fairy tale fantasy in post-apocalyptic world. But the main point of difference is the way magic is used in this book. Magic is the enemy and it kills.

Liza lives in a world that hasn’t recovered from a raging war between humans and the Faerie. The Faerie used their magic to turn nature against the humans. Her father is strictly against anyone who has Faerie-like features and abilities, including Liza’s little sister. But when Liza starts showing signs of doing her own magic, she is forced to run away from her home and find answers. She starts a journey to find her mother who disappeared herself.

Simner has written a tight story that grips you from the very beginning. There’s some dark descriptions that show how deadly magic can be. Liza’s efforts to control her visions of the past and future are a neat way to flash back and forth, telling how the Faerie came to be. Liza’s yearning to be reunited with her mother run parallel to the hope that magic can be used for good. The apocalyptic elements are subtle but effective, especially when things like batteries are precious and words like Disneyland are cast off into the world of ‘Before.’ It’s another layer to this involving story.

Bones of Faerie is a promising start to a thrilling series. It’s recommended for ages 13 and up.